Lin-Manuel Miranda Is Remaking a Classic "West Side Story" Song to Benefit Puerto Rico

Lin-Manuel Miranda, whom you might know as having created the smash musical sensation Hamilton on Broadway, is currently in the process of remaking the beloved West Side Story song "Maria" for Puerto Rico. The multihyphenate, who's been highly critical of President Donald Trump over the past week for providing inadequate support to the U.S. territory following the catastrophic Hurricane Maria, aims to boost the country's morale in this trying time of need.

Rita Moreno, the iconic Puerto Rican actress and singer who appeared in the original West Side Story film, confirmed the "Maria" remake to People. “I’m flying to Los Angeles because Lin-Manuel Miranda has written a song to the tune of 'Maria' from *West Side Story*. But he’s written new lyrics that mention every single town and city in Puerto Rico," she explained. “He’s gotten everybody that he knows to come and record this. I have no idea how it sounds … He’s going to stream it, put it out there to remind people what’s going on in Puerto Rico. My heart is breaking for these poor people. I keep thinking of people who may die because they can’t get their insulin. It’s needless deaths.”

While Lin-Manuel has been playing coy about the song until now, he announced on his Twitter that it'll be released on Friday — with a lot of supporting musicians in tow. A select few include Jennifer Lopez, Gina Rodriguez, Marc Anthony, Camila Cabello, and Gloria Estefan. Additionally, he also unveiled a separate playlist made up of "incredible, generous artists" that support his fundraising effort. "On behalf of playlist followers - follow the playlist and show your support for the people of 🇵🇷 !" he tweeted. "Spread it far and wide & enjoy!"